Many a digital marketer has put in hours of time identifying their target audience, creating ads or content to entice that audience, and then seen their efforts fail. Most of the time the assumption is that there was a problem with the advertising. The targeting was wrong, or the ad conveyed the wrong message. Quite often the real culprit is the Landing Page. A good landing page converts, a bad landing page will undermine even the smartest advertising effort. So, to improve results, attempt to build the perfect landing page.
Design For the Perfect Landing Page
When designing a landing page think about simplicity. Know what you want the target audience to do, and build with that objective in mind. The page must be clean and easy to read. Use color and images to catch the eye of the viewer. Apply color to buttons for conversions and Calls-to-Action(what color is an area of debate). What ever the color you choose, make sure there is a strong contrast between the button and background.
Another reason to design with a minimalist focus is to not confuse the reader. You have an objective and that needs to be clear to all visitors. Underperforming landing pages often have different items calling for the viewers attention. The only action that people should be able to take on your landing page is to complete your objective. Don’t give the audience choices, direct them to your goal. Every other link, button, or offer is merely a distraction.
Messaging
One successful strategy is to use the header to convey value. A successful page has a strong offer and explains the value clearly. The landing page headline and subheadings provide an opportunity to promote the value of your offer. Remember, reader attention is short, so you need to hook them quickly.
When creating the Call-to-Action (CTA) balance friction (how hard it is to take action on the landing page) with the motivation to convert. The more difficult it is to take the desired action the lower your conversion rate. Similarly, if you provide real motivation for the viewer, then conversions will increase. Motivation can be a scarcity of product or a limited time offer. When using “motivational’ tactics make them genuine and ethical. If it is discovered that a “limited time offer” is available all the time you will lose prospects confidence.
Trust Signals
A smart landing page employs trust signals. Trust signals can take several forms. One powerful trust signal is reviews and testimonials. A prospect who reads how you solved a problem for another client will feel much more assured when considering a purchase. Trust badges are another great trust signal. This refers to adding the logos of well-known brands you have worked with or been endorsed by. Good trust badges can be from local or regional chambers, reviews by well-known media companies or accreditations from industry-leaders.
PPC Ads
When using Pay-per-Click ads to drive traffic make sure that the landing page copy matches your ad copy. Repeating the same ad copy reassures the visitor that they came to the right place. Your ad is the synopsis of the landing page. You can expand on the ad copy in the landing page copy. Your PPC ad must direct the visitor to exactly the right page. An ad for coffee tables should not take the visitor to living rooms, they should go directly to coffee tables.
Using the same copy in your ad and landing page will also signal to the search engine that the content matches the ad. Quality scores will increase if you match the two, which will save you money on your advertising.
Unfortunately, we still have to remind people, your landing page must be optimized for mobile. While that might seem obvious by now, too often the landing page was designed on a desktop and does not read well on mobile. As more searches are done on mobile that will hurt results.
And of course, you will need to test. Look at what colors work best, where you place the CTA, what image(s) you use. Try different headlines and ad copy. Examine different offers. The A/B test is vital to developing a great performing landing page.
Build the Perfect Landing Page
A landing page can be the difference between a successful ad campaign and a bomb. Marketers put an incredible amount of time, effort and money into creating a quality product or service. They study their markets carefully and crafted powerful ads. But, without a winning landing page all of those efforts could be wasted. Put the same time and effort into the landing page. While you may not build the perfect landing page, a good one can make you a lot of money.
